Inkstand



May 3, 1938. I EMASHLEYI 2,115,697

INKSTAND l Fil ed Dec. 25, 1956 v Patented May 3, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INKSTAND Application December 23, 1936, Serial No. 117,272

10 Claims.

My invention relates to inkstands.

The object of my invention is to provide an inkstand of simple construction that will hold a considerable supply of ink in the reservoir, and

a cup into which ink is forced from the reservoir and may be maintained at a higher level therein than the level of the ink in the reservoir.

A further object is to provide a construction by means of which the ink may be maintained at a predetermined level in the cup and any surplus ink forced therein may overflow back into the reservoir.

A further object is to provide a dip-tube formed to receive a pen-holder and support a pen in the ink in the cup while serving as a closure for the said dip-tube.

A further object is to provide a construction that will protect the ink from the atmosphere by the use of a pen-holder which fits into the dip opening in air-tight relation therewith; the inkstand and pen-holder forming an inkstand set.

Referring to the drawing which forms a part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an inkstand illustrating a form of construction embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a preferred form of construction in which the cup is located close to the under side of the top of the reservoir.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view in which the cup is located at a lower level than that shown in Fig. 2, and showing a pen-holder, illustrated in dotted lines, located in normal position in the dip-tube and closing the dip opening located at the lower end thereof.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on line 4-4 of Fi 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view thru the sleeve portion which serves as a part of a plunger by means of which ink is forced from the reservoir to the dip-tube and cup portion.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View of the cup portion.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view on line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

[0 indicates the body portion of the stand which is shown as made from pressed glass and formed in a single piece.

The body portion may be made of other suitable material but when made of plastic material the top ill must be made separate from the lower square portion and secured thereon by cementing the parts together.

The reservoir l l is formed with a well 12 which extends downward from the bottom l3 of the reservoir, as illustrated, both the reservoir and well being circular in cross section, and the parts of the stand being shown full size and assembled in proper normal relation to each other.

A sleeve I4 is formed to provide a dip-tube It at its upper end, the lower end of which is circular and of less diameter than the lower end of the pen-holder I5 which rests therein and closes it.

A soft rubber ring l6 fits between the lower end of the dip-tube and upper end of the cup l1, said cup being fitted in tight frictional relation into the sleeve [4 and carried thereby, the said cup being adjustable as to height therein whereby the top of the cup may be located at the desired distance below the dip-tube opening l8 which is slightly larger in diameter than that of the inner diameter of the ring l6, thus permitting the lower end of the pen-holder to fit in airtight relation in the ring.

The cup is cylindrical and is provided with 20 a vertically extending channel I9 which extends from its bottom end to a transverse passage I9 leading into the upper end of the cup and formed by removing a portion of the rim of the cup as illustrated, and a channel 20 is formed in the opposite side of the cup and leads from a similar transverse passage 20' downwardly to an opening 2| in the sleeve and located above the wall of the well 12, as illustrated.

The outer diameter of the sleeve I4 is slightly less than that of the inner diameter of the well l2 and the weight of the sleeve and its parts carried thereby is such that it will float in the ink when the said parts are made of hard rubber and of the dimensions as shown in the drawing prior to the cup being filled with ink, but will sink to the normal position shown when the cup is filled with ink, as illustrated.

If the parts are made of glass, the sleeve and its parts will not float in the ink at any time when the dimensions are as shown in the drawing, but if the diameter of the sleeve and cup is made much greater than shown, and made of thin hard rubber, the sleeve may be made to float in the ink when the reservoir is filled, as will be readily understood.

It will be noted that the disc or ring l6 overlies the passages l9 and I9, thus causing the ink to flow laterally when flowing over the top of the cup to fill the same, and preventin the ink from spurting upward into the dip-tube in the act of filling the cup.

The device operates as follow:

The reservoir may be filled with ink by pouring the ink slowly into the dip-tube, the ink flowing downward thru the passages l9 and I9 and 20 and 20 and opening 2| into the reservoir, or the sleeve may be removed from the reservoir and the reservoir filled about one-half full after which the sleeve is replaced, and by a gentle pumping movement; of the sleeve, ink is partially trapped in the well below the plunger comprising the sleeve and cup carried thereby, and ink is forced upward thru the passages l9 and I9 into the cup and the surplus ink will overflow the cup and return to the reservoir thru the passages 20', 20, and 2|.

The outlet 2| is located at the low point in the sleeve to prevent any possibility of raising it above the top of the reservoir in the pumping operation and causing ink to flow therefrom outside of the stand.

The inkstand as thus constructed requires no sealed joints and may be easily cleaned, and the only soft part is the rubber ring I6 which could be dispensed with if desired and a pen-holder having a cork or soft rubber lower end would serve to make a tight joint with the dip-tube at its lower end to completely seal the opening.

It is obvious that it is not necessary that the dip-tube opening should be closed in air-tight re" lation except when serving as a cork to prevent evaporation of ink from the cup, and in so far as the other features of construction are concerned the pen-holder serves no required function.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new:

1. An inkstand comprising a body portion having a reservoir for ink and a well formed inthe bottom thereof, a sleeve and a cup carried thereby formed with a passage for ink leading from the well to the upper side of the cup, the lower end of said sleeve and cup normally positionedin said well adjacent the wall and serving as a plunger to force ink from the well thru said passage into the cup over the rim thereof to fillthe same.

2. The construction defined in claim 1, together with; and a second passage leading from the upper side of the cup to the reservoir.

3. An inkstand comprising a body portion having a reservoir for ink and a well formed. in the bottom thereof, a sleeve having a cup carried thereby formed with a passage for ink leading from its lower end to the upper side of the cup, the lower end of said sleeve and cup normally resting in said well in close slidable relation with the side wall thereof and serving as a plunger to force ink from the well thru said passage into said cup.

4. The construction defined. in. claim 3, together with; said construction comprising a passage leading from the upper side of the cup to the reservoir thru which surplus ink forced to the upper side of the cup may be returned to the reservoir.

5. An inkstand comprising a body portion having a reservoir for ink and a well formed in the bottom thereof, a sleeve and cup portion the lower ends of which form a plunger which rests in said well, said sleeve and cup contributing to form a passage for ink leading from said well to the upper end of said cup, and a passage leading from the upper end of said cup to the lower part of the reservoir above its bottom.

6. The construction defined in claim 5, together with; and a dip tube opening formed in the upper end of the sleeve and spaced a predetermined distance from the upper end of the cup.

7. An inkstand having a body portion with a reservoir for ink therein, a sleeve having a diptube opening formed in the upper end thereof, a soft rubber ring located adjacent to said opening and the inner edge of which is slightly less in diameter than that of said opening in the dip-tube, and a cup carried by said sleeve the upper end oiwhich is located under said ring; the construction embodying a passage leading from the lower end of said sleeve to the upper end of said cup.

8. An inkstand comprising a body portion having a reservoir formed therein and a well formed in the bottom thereof, a sleeve the lower end of which rests in said well with its outer wall closely adjacent to the inner wall of the well, a cup carried by the sleeve and forming therewith a plunger which rests in the well and embodying a passage which leads from the lower end of the plunger to the upper end of the cup; said sleeve having an opening in its upper end located adjacent to the upper end of the cup.

9; The COI'lStIllCtiOlldGfillBd in claim 8, together with; said construction embodying an overflow passage which'leads from the upper side of the cup to the-reservoir.

10. An inkstand comprising a body portion having a reservoir formed therein and a well formed in the bottom thereof, a sleeve the lower end of which rests in said well with its outer wall closely adjacent to the inner wall of the well, a cup carried by the sleeve and forming therewith a plunger which rests in the well and embodying a passage which leads from the lower end of the plunger to the upper end of the cup and an overflow passage which leads from the upper end of the cup to the reservoir, said sleeve having a laterally extending flange which rests on the body portion and a dip-tube having an opening in its lower end located above the upper end of the cup, a soft rubber ring the inner diameter of which is slightly less than that of the dip-tube opening held above the cup and of less diameter than that of a pen-holder formed to fit therein and close said opening.

FRANK M. ASHLEY. 

